The Secret to Diagnosing a Common Women's Health Problem

(ARA) - What do women really want? The answer to that question will inevitably vary. But in most cases of discomfort, particularly when it's something "down there," they want to know what's wrong and they want fast relief.

Waiting to see a doctor for a diagnosis and prescription is frustrating. And so often, many women diagnose themselves and incorrectly self treat with over-the-counter medications. Until recently, women relied on hunches and/or previous experience to help them identify and treat vaginal conditions. In the healthcare setting, doctors are armed with a variety of tools to help assess women's vaginal health. But more often than not, they use a pH test as one of the tools. Today, a vaginal pH test has been approved for consumer use in the comfort of home. The Vagisil Screening Kit for Vaginal Infections can allow women to better assess their symptoms and provide a crucial piece of information to share with their healthcare provider.

While many associate a pH test simply with a color scale or with vague memories from chemistry class, it can represent real answers and lead to relief. A self-administered pH test can help women determine whether they need to see a healthcare provider, or if they can turn to an over-the-counter remedy. Healthcare professionals have long relied on vaginal pH, a measurement of acidity or alkalinity, as a key indicator of vaginal conditions that may need to be treated.

The Symptoms
So, what is really going on "down there?" Most cases of change, such as unusual discharge, odor, itching or burning are usually referred to as vaginitis; a general term used to describe any kind of vaginal infection or inflammation. Women may experience many symptoms with vaginitis such as:

* Itching
* Burning
* Irritation
* Abnormal discharge
* Abnormal odor

What It Can Mean
While these symptoms may require attention, they can indicate different things -- from the more ordinary, such as a yeast infection to more serious conditions that require evaluation and treatment from a doctor. These symptoms, which commonly occur in women at some time or other can be associated with many conditions such as yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis (BV), and trichomonas (trich) infection. That's why it's important to be properly diagnosed from the beginning, to ensure that the treatment works quickly and effectively.

Because many vaginal conditions have similar symptoms, women often incorrectly self-diagnose and mistreat them -- ultimately delaying the relief they so desperately seek. A recent study found that half of the time, women incorrectly assume they have a yeast infection, when in fact BV is the most common cause of vaginal complaints. While treatment for yeast infections are readily available over-the-counter, BV requires a gynecologic evaluation and prescription medication. In the meantime, when there is discomfort, women can turn to a variety of over-the-counter options for relief. Vagisil Anti-Itch products can help soothe irritation and painful itching or burning, offering women an alleviation of symptoms until they can get a medical diagnosis and treatment.

Knowledge is Power
The screening kit from Vagisil, which offers simple at-home pH testing for vaginal infections, empowers women in more than just their feminine health by providing them with tangible information to a problem that is sometimes overlooked and/or dismissed. While the pH reading is a key in helping women find fast and effective relief, the information and self-knowledge it reveals are just as important. Too many women are often reticent to discuss matters of feminine health because of self-blame, embarrassment or simply not realizing the potential serious risks. Partnership with their healthcare provider is an important step, but partnership with their own bodies is also important. By being in tune and educated on what's normal and what's not, and pH self-testing can play a big part in this, women can be guided toward the appropriate treatment of their feminine problems -- saving time, money and frustration. In the end, that's all that most women want.

The kit is affordable, easy to use and comes complete with instructions. For more information, visit www.vagisil.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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